Moon Beom a place/a shade/a fade

New York, NYUSAjeudi 21 octobre 2010 ‐ samedi 27 novembre 2010

Reception: Thursday, October 21st, 6 - 8 pm

Kim Foster Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibition of new paintings by Korean artist, Moon Beom. The paintings are all from a series titled “possible worlds“ that are nature based abstractions, visualizing the chaos of infinite space where reality and illusion crisscross.

“It is impossible to fully comprehend the happenstance of nature. When I come across something like a small blade of grass in a deep forest, or water frothing on the endless cresting ocean, or cumulus rising up and disappearing diaphanously, I tell them to keep their place as objects that are more lasting, not transitory, ever changing backdrops. At twilight during the very short time that this planet seems to rest, nature begins to take a stroll, and the world repeats itself again.

These new works are about the mysterious and even surreal scenarios of proliferation and dislocation that occur in an ambiguous time and space. They focus on the interaction between the solid and void, voyage and arrival. The color, shape and line relate to the need for stability, while knowing a constant fragility. They are ready for turning in the reverse direction always. The imagery that is created is the world as it is meant to be, not as it is.”
Moon Beom 7/22/10

The swirls of oilstick made with quick movements of his fingers and the sharp lines created with a pen activate these paintings. Shapes are transformed into unexpected landscapes of imaginative vegetations, inviting the viewer into the artist’s newly discovered lands. The series delivers a strong visual message of endless imagination and illusion. The overall effect is an intriguing geography of fragmented memories and sites yet to be explored. In Western terms, he has invented a quantum world; to truly understand it one has to immerse oneself.

Moon Beom is among Korea’s most technically adept painters at creating hybrid works, preserving traditional landscape drawing while at the same time vigorously experimenting with Western techniques and style. His approach has been to adopt new materials and a more abstract vocabulary, yet retain the spirituality and craftsmanship that characterize the meticulous traditions of his native land.